What Amazon’s 5-day office week means for workplace leaders

Amazon is making headlines again. Starting in January, the company will require its corporate employees to return to the office five days a week, up from the current three.

The tech giant has tried to bring employees back to the workplace since February 2023. But it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. While employees have vehemently opposed the mandate, the company is doubling down. They believe the benefits of being in the office together—such as easier collaboration and stronger company culture—are too significant to ignore. 

This decision has big implications, not just for Amazon employees but for workplace leaders across industries. Below, we’ll explore how Amazon’s decision could trigger other organizations to rethink their own in-office mandates and what workplace leaders should do now to prepare.

A potential shift across industries 

Amazon’s announcement raises an important question: Will other companies follow their lead and make a similar push to bring employees back to the office full-time?

While not every company will jump to a full five-day office week, Amazon’s decision signals a likely shift back to more in-person work. If you manage office spaces and policies at a hybrid work organization, you need to be prepared for that possibility—whether it’s adjusting office layouts, creating more robust workplace experiences, or managing employee expectations.

This won’t be an easy task. You’ll likely face higher expectations from your leadership teams to guide their decision-making as well as scrutiny from employees. As of summer 2024, 27% of full-time employees in the U.S. are still operating in a hybrid work model—and many may not feel ready to spend more time onsite. That’s where you come in. 

What workplace leaders should do to prepare 

Here’s how to stay ahead of any potential changes to your company’s attendance policies. 

1. Make sure you have essential workplace data at your fingertips 

With executives and leadership teams making decisions on workplace policies, having accurate, real-time data on hand is crucial. Be prepared to present data on office occupancy and space utilization to inform key decisions before it’s even requested.

For example, before leadership asks if the current office setup can handle a full return to work, it’s helpful to gather data on how space is being used. These insights can reveal if a redesign is needed or if more space should be considered. 

Additionally, it’s beneficial to survey employees and team leads about their workplace needs and preferences. This feedback will provide insights into why they choose to be onsite—whether it’s for focused work, small team discussions, larger meetings, or water cooler chats. Knowing these motivating factors will help you shape a workplace design that effectively supports their activities.

Taking a proactive approach to gathering these insights helps leaders make informed choices quickly and ensures that the office remains both efficient and adaptable.

2. Assess your current office layout and capacity

Diving deeper into that last point, now is the time to take a long look at whether your office can handle an increase in onsite attendance. Start by reviewing how your space is currently being used. Are desks, meeting rooms, and common areas being fully utilized? Or do some spaces sit empty while others feel overcrowded? Understanding these trends will help you determine if your office layout needs adjustments to better support a busier workplace.

You may need to reconfigure desks, create more collaborative spaces, or even add quiet zones for focused work. Assessing capacity also helps you plan for future needs—whether that’s scaling up to accommodate more employees or making better use of the space you already have. 

By getting ahead of this now, you’ll be ready to share critical data with execs if and when they ask for it to drive their workplace policy. You’ll also start to form a better understanding of the changes and investments necessary to create a space that employees will enjoy spending time in. 

3. Have a rollout plan ready for potential policy shifts—and nail it

Begin by outlining a clear plan that you can implement if needed. Consider what your communication strategy would look like—how you’d inform employees about the changes, address their concerns, and share the rationale behind the decision.

As you prepare, think about how workplace design can play a role. Having appealing office spaces—like collaborative areas, quiet zones, and flexible workstations—can help ease any concerns folks may have about productivity. Employees might worry about their workflow being disrupted, so be ready to demonstrate how the office can enhance their work experience. Highlight benefits like spontaneous brainstorming sessions, direct mentorship opportunities, and stronger team dynamics to help employees see the value of working onsite.

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While Amazon’s decision is bold, it doesn’t mean every company will rush to follow suit. Still, workplace leaders should start thinking ahead and prepare for a potential shift in their own company policies. Even if your organization isn’t ready to shift to a five-day office week, a strategy that’s both flexible and future-ready will be key to navigating whatever comes next. 

In our upcoming workplace design mini-series, we’ll dive deeper into these strategies. We’ll walk you through how to create spaces that employees actually want to work in—​​making any potential transitions smoother. Stay tuned. There’s plenty more to cover. In the meantime, check out our workplace analytics series to learn about the data you’ll need to create a space employees love.